|
Kingdom of Auspiex Online
|
|
Kingdom of Auspiex Online is a two dimensional massive multi-player role playing game.The project currently is in its LATE Alpha stage of testing with over twelve hours of playable content already available for the public.Kingdom of Auspiex Online features currently over three hundred non player characters and fifteen quests to contributetowards a long lasting player experience. Our product is in essence an online persistent world that dynamically changes according to the action of players. This empowers the end user because for the first time they have the freedom to do virtually anything they want in the game. Such as setting Bank Interest rates for privately held money lending services which directly influence a Kingdoms overall Economy rating. The heavy emphasis on this game is letting the player determine their own experiences and direction of game play. Key Features - The ability to choose between eight initial player classes - Specialists: Cook, ArmorSmith, Crafter, and Creature Tamer - Revolving quests and storyarcs that change the game world - Choosing between twelve different epic professions - Over seventy starting skills and eighty magic spells - Fully animated two dimensional real time battle system - World Transportation such as Horses, Sea vessels, and Airships - Extensive Player vs. Player system - Player Ranking system; Alignment, Honor, and Guild Ranks - Day and night system - Wide range of sounds and effects - Multi-class and class specialization system - Epic level zones for large groups and guilds Justice code that responds to characters actions Kingdom of Auspiex online is a revolutionary two dimensional multi-platform massive multiplayer online role playing game available for the Portable computer. Kingdom of Auspiex Online features currently over three hundred non player characters and fifteen quests to contribute towards a long lasting player experience. The demo we currently offer allows the player to select from eight starting professions with an average of fourteen selectable avatars to enter the world with. The core activity of the game play is basking in a fantastic multi user environment where you can adventure, converse and form various player driven and controlled societies. Individual players are encouraged to explore a wide expansive land, carving out their own private identity. Our product is in essence an online persistent world that dynamically changes according to the action of players. This empowers the end user because for the first time they have the freedom to do virtually anything they want in the game. Such as setting Bank Interest rates for privately held money lending services which directly influence a Kingdoms overall Economy rating. The heavy emphasis on this game is letting the player determine their own experiences and direction of game play. Key Features • The ability to choose between eight initial player classes • Non combat specialists Cook, Armor smith, Dancer, Crafter and Creature Tamer • Player driven politics between cities, villages and kingdoms • Choosing between twelve different epic professions • Over seventy five starting skills and eight four magic spells • Fully animated two dimensional real time battle system • World Transportation for players including Horses, Sea vessels and Airships • Extensive Player vs. Player system • Player Ranking system featuring Alignment, Honor and Guild Ranks • Day and night system • Wide range of Sounds and Effects • Multi-class and class specialization system • Epic level zones for large groups and guilds • Justice is Towns that respond to Players Actions and protects new players • In game Art Editor for Crafters to make one of a kind items The Game Experience The game experience centers primarily around the concept that a player is free to customize their view and control of the game world, battle systems and character development. The game itself plays like no other existing two dimensional massive multiplayer online role playing game or MMORPG for short. The elements that provide the game experiences are multi faceted. The game provides a player driven guild system, player grouping system, interaction based on proximity, player killing, forming guilds, pursuing quests, exploring the land, crafting unique weapons and armor, forming player cities and kingdoms, and more! The ultimate goal of the game is to interact and customize your characters experience in the world anyway that you feel possible; become a mayor of a city, a king of the land, or a tyrant of an evil guild; all in an online environment. The ultimate goal of the game fluctuates with any given player actively investing their time and money with the game. These objectives may be simple or complex. Having a solid Player and Guild Ranking system allows people to play for the long term to better their standings in the player community or become known as famous adventurers. One of the end game ultimate goals is for the players to have a stake in the community and being able to do things that no game allows them to do. Features such as players having access to their own in game art and tile map editor allows the player to customize their own player character, their own house, shared homes or even strive to be known as producing the best looking Equipment or Weapons for other players to purchase. In a dynamic online world such as this one, players have virtually unlimited potential to craft their own play experience. The intermediate goal is the goal that most players will realize in the first few months of playing. The intermediate goal is to gain experience, find new friends and form player associations and to explore many of the games features. The games features are really set apart this title from any of the others on the market today. Most standard 2D RPGS feature lackluster graphics, heavily restricted player interaction with the environment and linear game play. The constant goal is to survive, make friends and to explore. Kingdom of Auspiex Online is a wide expansive game that will allow the user months of playtime before they explore everything and interactive with all of the non-player characters that populate the land. Why 2D and not 3D? Believe it or not this is the primary question that we receive from everyone who has ever heard or played our various demos. We have decided to walk down the two dimensional path for a myriad of reasons. Firstly because our game does not abide by conventional textures and polygons we can make our screen resources as colorful and detailed as possible because are not held under the same constraints. Two dimensional games such as Zelda, Mario Brothers and Final Fantasy attracted Millions of customers that first became interested in their respective franchises because of the original 2D platform. This loyal following enhanced their parent companies ability to become world famous and in many cases are the company’s sole identity. We also recognize the fact that many people do not have amazing computers. The average computer user has a unit that is between six and one year old. These computers for the most part without custom upgrades do not allow their user to play many of the current generation three dimensional MMORPGS. It is necessary for most people to invest in more hardware in order to play the game effectively. We seek to be able to immediately harness everyone’s interest by providing a game that anyone with a computer can pick up and play the game while still maintaining high quality art without sacrificing anything. Both Dimensions of games have their drawbacks and virtues. A 2D game is easier to manage on the long term and is able to put more control in the hands of the players. As discussed above with a two dimensional game the major emphasis is on the story, playability, long-term viewpoint and the impact on the player’s actions in the game world. A 3D game only allows players to temporarily change their environment for a limited period of time due to many software and hardware constraints. What can a player do? Players in the Kingdom of Auspiex have more control over their own interface, camera system and interaction with other players and monsters of the land then any MMORPG currently on the market today. Most online games suffer from the syndrome, that only has one camera system, one battle system, (either turn based or action) or one manner of perspective. A player in the Kingdom of Auspiex can customize their entire experience from the size of text when they interact with player characters, to customizing their own camera system. If a player wishes to customize their battle system they can choose between five different perspectives based on the style that suits them the most, giving little advantages and disadvantages through the views. Players in Kingdom of Auspiex Online have more freedom to pursue their actions that directly affect the game world. Most online games do not allow players to directly affect their playing environment. Sure boxes can explore, only to re-spawn again a few minutes later or hit a barrel. The essence of this game is to allow players in a broad fashion to design their own dungeons or towns within the game. We are in the stages of developing an in game art system that will allow the players to do just this. It is important in online games that players feel like they can further enhance the game experience not only for themselves but for other players as well. Most games allow extremely limited player input into the game world. Titles such as Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft allow players to develop items in game from preset lists that do not have any creative control for the players to utilize. Players statistically speaking have been prone to investing five to ten year loyalty to any given game if they feel that they have constructive input to the further development of the game. Putting the ability for players to dictate their own surroundings will increase a loyal player base and further enhance the games profitability. Scoring system The scoring system is very complicated as there is no general scoring that occurs. Scoring is based on usage and development of player skills such as Fishing and Crafting. These player professions gain set rank in their skills based on their in game abilities. A player who crafts one hundred custom items a day will further enhance their crafting skill set then a casual part time player that does this once in awhile. The Honor and Villain system allow players to base on their interactions with Non-Player-Characters and Player-Characters to determine how other people respond to them during the game. For instance, a player who steals from the poor, slaughters innocent people and leaves the stable doors open will retain a progressive “Villainy Rating” This rating will insure certain Towns or Non Player Characters will react to that Villain in a Hostile Manor. Player associations are “Scored” in an entirely different manor. Based on various factors such as guilds economic standards, sphere of influence and number of Honorable or Villain members give the guilds a ranking system that gives people something to strive for. The Interaction System The interaction system is very extensive, as characters daily interact with Non-player characters and other player characters. The interaction system features local chat, in a given geographical region, global chat, citywide chat, players can send each other tells, guild players can chat universally with each other, auction channels and various other mediums in game that allow players to interact with each other in various forms and media within the game to further enhance the overall game performance rating. Depending on what form of chat that a player would use they would access different menus. For localized chat players produce Speech Bubbles which other players nearby can see and respond to. Geographic Chat can be accessed in a special in game menu that allows people to talk with each other who are not necessary in the same town. Global chat allows players no matter where they are in the game to be able to ask questions, interact and form player grouping parties with each other. This is especially useful for new players as they often have questions that only veteran players can answer. Private Guild Channels are available that allow people in a certain organization the ability to privately chat with association members only. Players may elect to send private messages or in game mail to each other. So they can talk privately or exchange in game “E-Mail” Players and Non Player characters can also interact with each other. This process depends on extenuating circumstances such as Profession, Alignment, Honor and Ranking. This allows Player and Profession based quests to be developed. More on this later. How does it all begin? The very beginning of the game features company and production splash screen that promote the developers and give their logos. Players are then presented with a Login screen where they may choose a private Login and Password combination that allow them to maintain security on their account. After a person is logged in a character generator is available in which they can select up to eight starting professions with an average of fourteen selectable avatars. Our intention is to eventually allow players Hundreds of starting character templates to choose from. A character from the in game generator is then thrust to the VOID. The VOID is the in game starting point in which all new players begin their experiences in. The VOID is basically the world that bridges the land of the spirits from the land of the living. Departed Spirits of In game Teachers or profession masters will give players a sense of their profession, how it would impact their game experiences and what further options are allowed in that certain professions for long term player development. At this time players are given the option to choose their Alignment. The Alignment is a factor that dictates whether a starting player is Good, Neutral or Evil. Alignment can further be enhanced in game by player’s actions on other players and their immediate environment. This VOID is put in place so that the characters can have more information available to them in game for them to decide on what type of profession and class they wish to play. Characters also have the options to choose their names as well as gender. Before entering the game world players are given a taste of things to come. The Second Stage of the VOID is for players to experience combat and skill usage. It is important that before players are put in life or death circumstances that they have some idea how combat and the core mechanics of the game work on a very basic level. After this initial character generation sequence as been accomplished they are now thrust into the starting hometown of player characters. Here many NPC’s are available to help guide the player and introduce them to a starting line of quests that give further insight into the game world and the various mechanics. What does it take to win? Winning the game is something that is more of a process than an objective. Players will have all different outlooks on how they feel the game can be won. For example, someone may think that having their rating number one on the player kill charts is suitable. Another example is a player forming a kingdom from scratch, building a strong economy and influencing the game world on a noticeable level for all players to recognize as such could be a potential end game. Both of these scenarios for the most part in online persistent worlds encourage them to actually play more to maintain what they have accomplished and also inspire new players to devote large amounts of time in order to surpass what previous people did ahead of the. In MMORPG’s it is good business never for people to truly win. People who feel that they have accomplished everything a game has to offer usually move on to new games. We seek to retain old players by offering monthly and yearly incentives to receive one of kind items that set them apart from new players. This has been a proven trend to encourage people to play for the long term in such popular games as Everquest, World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online. What does it take to lose? Losing the game is something that no player will completely experience. MMORPGs are different from many other games in the respect that there is no true end game. The allure of Games like Secondlife is to allow players to experience minor setbacks but provide them with the opportunity to make all of their progress back. A player may experience loss of items, their life, gold or various holdings. The prospect of having a guild usurped from a player by a rival player mercenary faction employed by a series of minor guilds is very intriguing and when a player loses control of the guild, it merely inspires them to do whatever they can do get it back. It’s the essence of no true loss but inspiring players to take their destiny into their own hands drives this game into a truly original title. Game Features The features of the game are wide ranging and all encompassing! Essential elements from many past and present RPGS are integrated into my system that maximizes player control over their core game play experience. We take some minor elements of other non online two dimensional role playing games because statistically most people who subscribe to online games are between the ages of twenty one and forty. People who grew up playing video games casually since the first “PONG” game in the late 1970’s become nostalgically reminiscent of the good old days. Most players surveyed by online media mention that “playing games was not about having the most expensive CGI graphics but involved an interesting storyline, playability and fundamental engrossment”. I would like to elaborate on some of the Core Game Key Features in expressed detail; Game Economy - 99% of Online Multi user environments never played serious concern to the economy of their game. Economies in most games are integrated into real life economy. Services such as E-Bay allow users to sell their virtual items, characters and gold on their website in exchange for Currency. This process drives up prices in the game contributing to inflation. This inflation after about a year makes it cumulatively harder for new players to become a part of the economy because of the constantly in a state of flux process of a higher rate in which items and gold are produced. Our project is set on regulating the entire economy in the game and allowing players to start their own banks. This is important because players have the ability to set interest rates to curb inflation. Our banking system is set up to be very dynamic and allow players with a business savvy to be able to amass fortunes. One of the systems we have in development allows players to start their own bank by purchasing land in any given town. The more players deposit their money with the banker the more that banker can in turn offer better returns on the depositor’s accounts. This can be accomplished by the banker investing in other player run companies, businesses or purchase entire towns. The operation of banks is run in competition by other player’s financial institutions giving players many options to do their interest with whoever is more profitable for them or their particular outlook on the banks business practices. This gives starting players a safe place to store their gold and at the same time gain interest. It also helps territory professions such as a Crafter or a Weapon smith the financial backing to buy the materials necessary to make items and purchase a store in the heart of a town in order to open up shop and do business. The banker then can invest in these people for nominal rates to these people. Thusly the enterprising player can use these banks as a source to gain financial backing. This system allows truly powerful banks to establish themselves as regional and global powers. The more net wealth a bank or city has the more their sphere of influence can increase. The economy is one of the most important factors of the game and we seek to regulate it by a central bank run by the administrators to prevent the entire banking system from being taken advantage of and ruining the casual user’s game process. Economy plays a central role to the development and maintenance of player and non player run towns. Players need money to buy their equipment, items and modes of transportation. They buy these things from other players manufacturing these items. The players who manufacture items need to get their materials from other players. These players get the raw materials to the player manufactories by Shipping Ports or Airships. Airships and Shipping ports are controlled by cities of players, or very powerful individuals whom may charge tariffs or impose embargos. The essence of our economy system is to be the most in-depth player economy system in game ever. A system that truly anyone can participate in and use this system to better their overall player experience. In Game Art Editor - Fundamentally the most important factor at our entire player creative control aspect, is the in game art editor. A player whom is specialized in a particular discipline may select from a default template of things to create, such as a potion, a house, a shelf, or a new hair style. One of the ways for our project to make money aside from the initial investment in our product is for our in house art staff to constantly develop and offer “Packs” for our players to buy. This will provide inartistic people an avenue to buy high quality art to expand their characters repertoire of different things to make. The users may elect to customize and make their own art! This process is unique only to our game and is not available in any other commercial product to date. We intend to employ a custom made Pixel Editor that allows users to create art under a strict guideline to prevent offensive or inappropriate materials. This editor provides the user with virtually unobstructed freedom to create NPCS, Clothing, custom armor/weapons and more! All submitted assets will then be published in the next upgrade we provide to the end user. Usually this upgrade is provided on a two week basis. With proper infrastructure we can do it in real time. Crafting - Allowing players the freedom to be able to make their own personal items or sell items to other characters is a very important factor in online gaming. There is little satisfaction in online games to be able to have a set defined amount of items and no more can ever be attained unless the game developers physically make the items. The core ability for players to create their own custom items within the limitations of the game code is quintessentially the most important aspect. Crafting is broken up into specialized disciplines to create a use for all of the specializations and not create “An Alpha Profession” these disciplines include Weaponsmithing, Armoursmithing, Item Maker, Artisan, Realtor, Industrial Engineer and Spell Component Engineer. These various sub-professions are an integral aspect of the game as each specialization makes things for other players on a general level or a specific level. Here are further elaborations on this very extensive system. Weaponsmithing - A weapon smith takes core materials such as Ore, Iron, Steel, and Mithril to manufacture various weapons for other player characters. Weapons are an important aspect of the game has combat occurs between Combat orientated professions. People always need a better sword, a sharper dagger or some weapon that deals more damage than their previous. Weapons may be stronger or imbued with magic with rare materials only available to groups of players participating in a certain dungeon or in a remote place. Different weapons may be learned by the Weapon Smith by various schematics found in various locations in the game, from quests or Veteran Rewards. Armor Smith - All players in the game will need to wear clothing or armor at some point during their game time. Armor and Clothes represent not only a physical reduction in damage taken but defines the character. People at the core of their beings strive to be individuals and how we dress plays an important part of our wellbeing and character. We look at ourselves in the mirror every day to see how we look, because we know on a daily basis countless people see us and judge us. When we play in online persistent worlds our person is recognized and judged by our physical presence. The ability to wear different clothes and amour dependent on our moods and our activities are very important. Armor Smiths are further branch from making conventional armor to an entire line of TAILOR traits. The Armor Smith may elect to not exclusively make armor, but sacrifice his armor development to make custom shoes, rings, hats, shirts etc for other players. This gives them the ability to make their own equipment with an in game art editor. Item Maker - Antidotes, Potions of health and vials that cure our diseases are very important to people’s day to day experiences. Not everyone will have a Cleric, Doctor or alternative magical avenues to alleviate their wounds. Giving the players the ability to become self sufficient are the base of this Item Maker class. Item Makers can make hundreds of different items that they may sell to other players in order to benefit them. Item makes like Weapon Smiths and Armor Smiths are dependent on materials they receive that are available in the game world. These items are either harvested from the Item Maker themselves but are often a viable avenue for new players to get for them in their day to day travels. Item Makers may elect to open player run shops that can have their wares available to other players. Artisan - The Artisan is the person responsible for creating Deeds for all player Housing, Shops and Player Cities. Artisans can create custom or default homes for other players to live in. They can also construct Guildhalls and Architecture for individuals or businesses. Artisans are one of THE most important classes for a player to play. There will always be a demand for a, neat chair to sit on, a shelf to store equipment, a statue depicting a players valor. Artisans are what drive's the aesthetics of the game. The ability for a player to have control over the color, look and feel of their creation is what sets our game out from any other title on the open market. In essence Artisans create physical persistent objects for other players to promote individuality and fill an important niche for one of kind things. Realtor - Although Artisans physically create Deeds to Player Housing, Guildhalls, and Shops the Realtor can physically band the land for these things to be built on. Players do not have the luxury to build indiscriminating anywhere they please. This is the drawback on all current Online Worlds. Enabling the players to build anywhere is directly what causes a myriad of network problems and the disorganization of the game world. In most games a player being able to build anywhere prevents NPCS from functioning properly. It also allows players to cheat by building houses in very remote or rate places giving them an advantage of other players. Realtors can buy property for the players to place their Deeds on. Prices on locations of the deeds fluctuate based on the size of the city; the technology level, industrial level and whether the city is a player run city or a NPC controlled city. This presents very interesting long term game options such as having established market areas in the game rather than having everything spread out in the game world. Having a dedicated Commercial area in villages, cities, and kingdoms allows players to easily navigate to their favorite merchant. Realtors also purchase land in a city or the country side for players to build their houses. The houses must be built within city limits. The benefit of a Realtor is to provide a fringe class a vital position in the game world. Industrial Engineer - The Role of the Industrial Engineer is to create Ships, Airships, Harvesters and inner workings of Water Wheels to Generate Energy and so on. All vehicles in the game are made by the industrial engineer. All of these creations are vital to the game economy and end user experience. In order for players to cross large distances without walking they can take the seas or cross the land in Airships. Ships are not just important to player transportation (point a to point b) but serve to transport raw materials and goods. Ships have varying degrees of cargo hold storage; the bigger the ship the more cargo it can store for transport. Industrial Engineers in order to create their machines are dependent on other players to fill their requirements for raw materials necessary for creation. Spell Component Engineer - Spell component engineers are necessary for the in game magic system. The intention with our magic system is to allow spell casters to not be able to utilize every spell on demand but requires spell components. In most games magic is imbalanced because the damage that it deals is often more powerful than most weapons that are available. To counterbalance this fact we are making magic reliant on core materials in order to cast. For instance, a Fireball spell may need ‘black power’ ‘ignition source’ and a potion of living flame. These spell components are made by the spell component engineer from a series of raw materials found in the game, or crafted by the Item Maker. Battle System - Kingdom of Auspiex - Online battle system takes place in real time and allows players to be able to engage in spell casting or melee combat with the range system. A sword has a specific range of influence in which it is effective or ineffective. The Archer has a longer range with his arrows, but they do less damage then a mighty sword. A player utilizes combat by using the Attack Key on their keyboard. Players are able to hotkey specific skills to any key on their keyboard allowing for fast input of magic, skills, or weapon specials. Our battle system is much akin to such games as “The Legend of Zelda” Skill System - Our skill system allows players to utilize various class and profession specific abilities in order to add distinction to each class. This adds long-term playability as players will want to explore other combinations. Our skills allow players a core number of default skills that are available to all players with certain professions. Further skills can be learned via Quests and long term character development. Our intention is to allow players to be able to have a wider skill set available to them then they can able to learn. This prevents the syndrome of all characters having the exact same skill set. We have selected this methodology to provide more uniqueness to each player character and avoid generic nous. An example of a Skill set is the Rogue. The rogue starts with a poison dagger skill and a lock pick skill. As the Rogue progresses naturally in levels they acquire subterfuge and sneaking skills. Various Quest branches allow the rogue to specialize their character in combat, stealth or espionage. Player vs. Player Combat We allow players to be able to universally have the freedom to attack other players on demand. We have tuned the PVP system to be able to provide damage reduction so that players will deal less damage to each other then they do to NPCs. This provides a longer combat experience and avoids Instant Death. Players in online environments will never always get along. Providing players with the option to be able to engage in combat is very important to people dealing with personal issues. There are a core amount of players who subscribe to various online games who solely pay their money In order to participate in player vs. player action. We seek to accommodate these players with the ability to kill other people. We have edited enough of the settings so that a high level character cannot attack a low level character. This prevents new players from being killed repeatedly driving them away from the game. Also we have instituted a Justice policy in towns. This is an intricate system that if players attack each other within a certain proximinity to guards, the guards will assist the attacked player to drive off the initiator to the PVP. Players who repeatedly break the laws of the towns Enemies Enemies in the game lurk behind every corner, as the bridge between good and evil are relative like the real world. If you are a character following the noble path, your enemies will be the evil doers and selfish people in the world that look out for their own self-serving agendas at the expense of other people. While a character displaying a predisposition towards a villainous nature, will find enemies in the local guards, good natured Paladins and Clerics. As conflict is the essence of all drama some hazards of the game include: traps, monsters, other players, taxes, pitfalls, evil witch kings, and Trolls of the high moors. These are all but a few of the abysmal despairs that await the foolhardy or light of heart trekking into the wild lands of Kingdom of Auspiex! Art Style The art style of the game is fundamentally predisposed towards a colorful, bright, cartoon atmosphere that is a departure from the film noir approach that most games seem to take with MMORPGs. Generally speaking, most online role playing games either fit into a standard three dimensional ultra realistic environment that diminish the game experience because people need the latest and greatest hardware to view the game for all its worth. Since Kingdom of Auspiex Online is a two dimensional game, it works fine on ALL computers with a valid internet connection. Kingdom of Auspiex Online is appealing to people of all ages and walks of life. The general aesthetics is enrapturing for the anime-like qualities that appeal to a broad world demographic, including North American, European and Pacific Rim players. Color The color for the game is bright and extensively integrates perfectly with the dynamic shadowing system. This allows people, no matter how dark it is, to see the goals of each individual level and always know where their individual character is in relation to the game environment. The colors feature over twelve million different shades and tones, making the world come alive with the rich tapestry of hues and coronas. Player characters vary in color from the equipment and clothing they wear, to the eye and hair color, to the bricks and mortar in the walls that look three dimensional. Lighting Traditionally, massive multi-player online role-playing games are lackluster to say the least, in the department of lighting. For example, no big games have the dynamic phasing of the moon, sun, day, or night. Kingdom of Auspiex Online is breaking new ground and we are proud of our self-created dynamic lightning system that features innovations, such as the dynamic shadow system and moving environments that include clouds, water and fog. We see lighting in everyday life, and good lightning is the quintessential aspect to long term game play. Shimmering iridescent water and properly lit torches wavering in the wind is something critical gamers all agree constitute a more enjoyable player experience. Textures Textures in the game feature a totally original in house system that features such cutting edge techniques such as Bump Mapping and Parallax mapping. These two texture technique are primarily used in conjunction with the pixel art and tile mapping that is the essential in Kingdom of Auspiex Online. Bump Mapping “Bump mapping is a computer graphics technique where at each pixel; a perturbation to the surface normal of the object being rendered is looked up in a texture map and applied before the illumination calculation is done. The result is a richer, more detailed surface representation that more closely resembles the details inherent in the natural world. Parallax Mapping and Scrolling “Parallax Mapping (also, Photonic Mapping, Offset Mapping or Virtual Displacement Mapping) is an alternative to the bump mapping and normal mapping techniques applied to textures in 3D rendering applications and games. To the end user, this means that textures (such as wooden floorboards) will have more apparent depth and realism with less of an influence on the speed of the game. Offset mapping is done by displacing the texture coordinates such that the texture occludes itself in accordance with a height map. Next-generation 3D applications may employ offset mapping as new graphics algorithms are developed. An easy way to understand this concept is to close one eye, take a pencil, point it at your eye, and move your head left and right. Parallax mapping takes that pixel on the far left of the pencil when it was facing you directly and stretches it accordingly to simulate your angle in comparison to the pencil.” Architecture The architecture of the game is satisfying and allows characters the freedom to design their own player houses, guild halls and player cities from pre-designed user templates. It also features a very extensive non-editable architecture system that makes up the bulk of buildings in the game. It also provides an in-depth questing system that inspires Artisans to be able to craft their own furniture and different housing schematics. Giving players the ability to have a say in the layouts and construction of their own homes or player cities are one of the factors that makes large scaled MMORPGS such as Star Wars Galaxies such a long term game. Players immerse themselves into the game because they feel empowered by being able to customize their online experience. Architecture varies depending on the technological level of any given city or organized society of people. For example, in a small village in the mountains with a population of under fifty people, would not have generally big towers or black marble obelisks. Their houses would be constructed from materials found in the local environment to contribute towards in-game realism. Meanwhile, a large capital city would have rising crystal spires and would have constructed buildings with materials found all throughout all the lands. Animations Animations simulate movement and help bring a sterile world to life. The essence of capturing motion is important factors in making a game simulate real-world physics. In Kingdom of Auspiex Online, animations big and small are everywhere. Doors opening and closing, characters’ eyes’ blinking, a grand fountain churning out water and the rising flames of a city on fire are all but a few examples of the widespread animations that grips players into a long lasting experience. The animations for the game are placed with great care and are spread out enough that it will not create network lag times for players. Setting and Storyline Kingdom of Auspiex Online is a parallel world where monsters, villains and nobles are found throughout the land causing strife and discord to the average commoner and seasoned adventurer alike. Our fantastic realm features oceans, wide spanning continents, small islands, large forests, perilous mountain ranges and underwater civilizations. The beginning of this century was noted as the era of discovery, where technology, magic and cleric powers were at their zenith. For the most part people are happy and living the existence that they choose for themselves without fear. Ten years ago, a mysterious meteor struck the ocean, creating a mighty tidal wave destroying most of the cities that lay near the fringe of the ocean, as well as many of the small outlying islands. Since that fateful day, people started to change. It was first dismissed as a wasting, debilitating pestilence. However, as time passed, people started to twist and morph into things never seen before. Grown men grew long fangs, and lost all semblance of their humanity. Frail old ladies became driven by bloodthirsty frenzies, literally tearing their families apart. They became twisted shadows of their former selves, ostracized or driven out of their villages by the populace. Living in the wild, they began to terrorize the land, and more importantly, start to breed. Magic was then to blame, as people always look to deflect the blame on things other than themselves. Perhaps it was magic experiments that had gone awry or some mad conjurer summoning that was the catalyst for the mutations. This led to the first war to take place in over a thousand years. The magic guilds were driven out of populated city centers at great cost to life on both sides; mighty cities were laid to waste, great armies destroyed. Magic became outlawed in the coming years, all fractioned and users of the craft were required to register or face execution. Guilds retreated into the wilderness or to regions unable to be traversed by large armies. In spite of the mages retreat dogs, cats, and all creatures large and small started to mutate as the people once did. People started to realize that maybe magic wasn’t to blame after all. However, as long as the propaganda machines of the large kingdoms was still rolling, the old power struggles proved to be stronger then the preservation of the people, and the animals were destroyed or cast out, as magic fiends, or devils. The second magic war had begun, and the barely recovering magic guilds and cabals, who existed on the fringes of society, were now the most tangible targets and soldiers moved in to eradicate the magic problem once and for all. Sorcerers and wizards convened for the first time in history putting their differences aside. Leaders from the various magical factions deliberated on the future of magic in the world collectively discerning the true nature of the mutations. Up until this point, the guilds on their own accord sent their spies, wayfarers and investigators to various points in the world to gather information. The meeting of guilds paved the way for the assimilation of all magic traditions to be brought under one roof. Their goal was to preserve the future of organized magic, the training of future neophytes, the continuation of the grand tradition of spell weaving and advisement to kings and queens. They abandoned their ornate guildhalls, and moved further into the furthest fringes of human society, some even moved high into the mountains. As the magic guilds faded from public sight many people anticipated the advent of a grand new age of freedom from the strangle hold of magic that almost brought civilization to its knees. Welcome to the present day. The Kingdom of Auspiex is an entire globe with varying climates, technological highs/lows, and civilizations that are both awe inspiring and in-depth. Social stature and different laws is a centerpiece to the Kingdom of Auspiex. We find Matriarchal societies coming into conflict with democracies, to feudal fiefdoms to theologian run cities. The grand capital city of Mir is the crown and jewel of the Ashandra continent, ruled by a grand council representing various sociological and captains of industry. Magic is outlawed, and all things commercial reign paramount in the eyes of the ruling class for the long term sustainability of the major cities. The port district is the largest on the continent, where merchant fleets, and exotic items are bought to the mainland from various small islands and primitive cultures all over the globe. The general populace is all subject to serve under the grand army for no less than two years, to build community and to enforce the local laws and customs. Characters Character creation The character creation system in Kingdom of Auspiex is very complex, as it empowers the user to be able to customize their character from the color of eyes and hair, to the sex, to choosing from sixty of the available in game templates that are available online to new users. The main login procedure allows characters to generate their characters and select an in game avatar from the profession specific list. In-game characters have many freedoms that change their on-screen appearance to themselves and how they are perceived by fellow users. When a character wields a two-handed sword, the sprite on the screen reflects the difference of weapons. Likewise with armor if a player wears a full face platted helmet the sprite changes from a human head, to donning a helmet. Customizing the player after the initial character creation is a facet of game play that we take very seriously. We recognize players’ tastes and alignments change. Customizing Character customizing is a long and arduous process that takes months if not years to fully realize. A character may customize their character exclusively based on their clothing and armor appearance. Character customization can also be accomplished via skill set and profession based player progression. Also player’s physical outlook can be changed via player’s actions such as Honor and Villainy. The more villainous of a nature a player has the more the player metamorphose into a truly evil being. The more evil a player becomes the more malformed and dilapidated they become until they are the pure embodiment of evil. Specializations Upon reaching level thirty, you may "specialize" you character, meaning to Choose a specific profession based path or skill-set. After you have decided what specialization you would like to be, you must find the proper "teacher" NPC of your class to aid you in your specialization. Specializations further enhance a player’s ability to customize their character. An example of a Specialization would be a Fighters Specialization of “Swordsman” A swordsman exclusively wields a sword and gains special branches of Sword Attacks and abilities. The downside is that they are no longer able to wield any other type of weapon. Specializations function on the pro and con quotient. This prevents Superman type characters from walking around. Expanded List of Player Specializations Crafter Fighter Warrior Ranger Rogue Pikeman Cleric Mage Archer Armor Smith Grappler Mercenary Huntsman Thief Dragoon Zealot Shadow Mage Sharpshooter Weapon Smith Swordsman Gangster Bowman Bravo Battlefield Leader Holyman Conjurer Mystic Archer Industrial Engineer Squad leader Berserker Tracker Assassin Defender Healer Wizard Gunslinger Realtor Knight Knight Scout Item Maker Spell Component Engineer Banker Multi-classing Upon reaching level fifty, you may "multi-class" your character, meaning to add a second class profession to your character. This is not without its drawbacks, however. Once you multi-class you CANNOT later change your choice if you do not like it. Here are some things to consider. First, you can only multi into classes that is offered by your starting profession. Some combinations are not available so using the command 'multi' on your character will tell you which combinations are available. Multi-class does will get the worst of both classes. All classes have damage roll modifiers and bonuses/drawbacks. Casters tend to get damage modifier penalties. Crafters are not allowed to multi-class. Epic Professions When a character multi-classes, it adds quite a number of positive benefits, as well as a few drawbacks. Upon reaching the fifty-sixth level of the second Multi-class selection, a player may elect to pursue an epic profession. Epic professions can endeavor to explore the option of epic level quests and unlock a special epic profession based on their Multi-class combination. Some examples include a Fighter multi-classing into a Cleric, and pursuing the Paladin profession, or the Rogue multi-classing into the Mage camp and elevating into the Shadow Dancer lifestyle. Starting Professions Fighter At first glance, the fighter seems like the simplest character to play -- a combat machine suitable for newcomers to the game and for players who lack the drive or imagination to create more complex characters. But first impressions often prove false, and though a fighter can certainly be easy to play, dismissing him as a dull character is definitely a mistake. A well-constructed fighter, played with zeal and presence of mind, is a satisfying character and an indispensable member of any adventuring party. Fighter Assets The fighter class provides plenty of tools for effective adventuring. Below are several assets you have going for you when you choose a fighter. High Hit points: Absorb lots of damage and keep right on going. Good Armor Selection: The fighter's class features don't include much in the way of special defenses, but his ability to wear any kind of armor and use any kind of shield usually gives him an impressive Armor Class. This factor combined with his high hit points makes for a great defensive package. Good Attack Bonus: A fighter's base attack bonus increases per each level gained, which is the best in the game. Thus, fighters can dish out damage as well as they can take it. Good Weapon Selection: Because a fighter is proficient in the uses of all matters of weapon, he's a deadly opponent no matter what weapon he wields. Wide range of Combat Skills: Fighters gain a generous selection of bonus feats. Though they're mostly combat-oriented, these feats allow you great flexibility in tailoring a character to your taste. Fighter Weaknesses As with any class in the Kingdom of Auspiex, the fighter's advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a fighter character. Poor Saving Throws: They aren't good at avoiding most kinds of magical attacks. Low Mobility: A fighter's reliance on heavy armor tends to make him a slow mover on the battlefield, a hampering ability to chase after foes that flee. Specializations Fighters have the ability at level 30 to be able to choose a specialization relevant to their profession. Grappler: Grapplers have the ability to discard their weapons and extend their repertoire of take down abilities by specializing as a grappler. The fighters loose all of their attack bonuses for wielding weapons, but grapplers have some of the best take down abilities of the game, perfect for taking down high level spell casters! Squad Leader: Through countless campaigns on the battle field, they gain a signifying number of bonus’s that apply to all of the members under the Squad Leaders group. The Squad Leader also gains the ability to highlight the target with a mystical beam of energy, adding a distinctive targeting system to all of the party members. Knight: A knight is heralded as the vanguard of the masses, protector of the innocents, and propagator of chivalry. A knight gains abilities to fight in battle while mounted, enables the Knight to gain bonuses for using shields and sets the stage for the Knights further Epic Profession as a paladin. Warrior A Warrior is a person habitually engaged in war and/or skilled in the waging of war. In tribal societies, warriors often form a caste or class of their own. In feudalistic kingdoms, the vassals essentially form a military or warrior class, even if in actual warfare, peasants may be called to fight as well. In some societies, warfare may be so central that the entire people (or, more often, the male population) may be considered warriors. The Pros and Cons of a Warrior A warrior trains his entire life in the battlefield. Whether the Warrior has been raised from an early age to engage his foes on the fields of battle, or fighting rival tribes, a warrior lives the essence of battle as a Way of life. Wielding weapons, or pummeling his foes with his fists, they wield whatever tools are available to them to smite their foes Warrior Assets The Warrior class provides plenty of tools for effective adventuring. Below are several assets you have going for you when you choose the Warrior profession. High Hit Points: Because of a warrior’s high initial constitution and their ability to raise it far higher than any other class, empowers the warrior to fight longer and harder on the battle field without tiring. Good Armor Class: Warriors have the highest starting out base amour class, and enable the warrior to wear whatever type of armor they so desire, making the warrior the ideal tank in a group. Good Weapon Selection: Warriors are able to wield any sort of one-handed or two-handed weapon, allowing them to use whatever is at their disposal to fight onwards. Many Skill Options: Warriors, because of their versatile nature, are allowed a wider range of skills to employ. Warrior’s Weaknesses As with any class in Kingdom of Auspiex, the Warrior’s advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering the Warrior Profession. Low intelligence: Some Warriors gain much wisdom, and high level Warriors usually settle down and become leaders of their tribe, or places that garner respects for grizzled old warriors. Their high wisdom usually comes at a price of low intelligence. Elemental Vulnerability: Normally Warriors become masters of melee combat and servants of their blades, because of their specialized nature of fighting, they have not gained the years of training fighting creatures of a magical nature, so they take more damage from elemental based attacks. Inability to use magic: Warriors gain exceptional proficiency when wielding weapons or using their muscle, they find it impossible to use the various wands, staves, and scrolls. Specializations Professional warriors are people who are paid money for engaging in military campaigns and fall into one of two categories: Soldiers; when fighting on behalf of their own state, or Mercenaries; when offering their services commercially and unrelated to their own nationality. The classification of somebody who is involved in acts of violence may be a matter of perspective, and there may be disagreement whether a given person is a gangster, a terrorist, a mercenary or a soldier. Warriors who reach the level of 30 may choose to pursue one of the advanced specializations that are available to the warrior profession. Mercenary - Warriors have the ability to pursue a sword for hire profession that allows them a number of skill enhancements, such as head butt, capture, and hide. Gangster - Gangsters are warriors that pursue the more lucrative underworld profession that rule the streets with brute force, usually taking the roles of brutes, thugs, or bodyguards. They gain such skills as subterfuge, underworld connections, and hide. Knight - Warriors and Fighters may elect to serve a higher power then the sword, and specialize in the aspects of knighthood. Knights gain such skills as mounted combat, and specialized two-handed fighting. Ranger Ranger is sort of a cross between a Fighter and a Druid. Also, Rangers have an innate resistance to the elements. Tracking makes this class really shines. This skill makes Rangers welcome in any group hunting outdoors. Tracking is also a nice skill given to Rangers. If you have someone you can find the monsters that give you the best experience or gold without a lot of mindless wandering, and you can keep a look out for the ones that will kill you on sight. Rangers are also pretty good fighters and can readily play the tank. You can't dish out or take as much damage as a warrior, and you are somewhat limited in your weapon and armor selection, but you can definitely hold your own. Because of his druid and tracking abilities, the Rangers is pretty good solo class. Tracking lets you pick your fights and only engage the monsters you can beat, and warns you when you are getting near something that can take you out in a hurry. Your spell casting lets you slow down the foe to better attack or run. Your ability with the bow gives you the chance to do damage without engaging. And your fighting ability lets you fight it straight up when you need to. The Pros and Cons of a Ranger Rangers are the wilderness guides that ferry people from village to village. They tread lightly in the forest as silently or as swiftly as an elf, yet spend long years in pursuit of balance within the forest. They take infractions upon the land with dire consequences, and older Rangers, usually settle down chaperoning a certain forest of their choosing, becoming guardians. Rangers Assets The Ranger class provides plenty of tools for effective adventuring. Below are several assets you have going for you when you choose a Ranger. Druid Magic: Rangers with their long standing tradition of living in the wilderness develops abilities of the druidic of nature. They can calm wild beasts, and use the living forests themselves to entangle their foes. Good Armor Class: Rangers are creatures of the forest, and are unable to wear bulky armor, they have high natural AC that allows them even in forest chain mail or leather tunics to be able to move fast and dodge attacks. Dual Wielding: Rangers gain the limited ability of ambidexterity, allowing them to fight with a weapon in each hand. High intelligence: A Ranger gained much insight on the nature of things, and gains many skill based proficient that denote their introspective nature. Extended weapon bonuses: Rangers gain mighty bonuses when wielding slashing weapons of any kind, as well as the ability to use any bow in the game. Ranger Weaknesses As with any class in Kingdom of Auspiex, the Rangers advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a Ranger character. City Blues: A Ranger lives their life in the forests and wilderness and usually has any aversion to any organized civilization larger then a city. When in the bounds of a larger society, Huntsmen loose all of their innate bonus’s, such as Hide, Sneak, and Pass without Trace. Poor Weapon Selection: Rangers can only use bows or one-handed slashing weapons. They find it difficult to fight with any other sort of weapon. Specializations A Ranger reaching the level of 30 may choose to specialize in various advanced specializations pertaining to their profession only. Huntsman: Huntsman upon constant devotion to their art can pursue the life of the professional Ranger. They gain enhanced abilities to their sneak, hide, and pass without trace skills, as well as new skills, such as tracking, craft arrow, and sense evil. Bowman: Rangers who show a true devotion to the art of the long ranged bow, become specialists in tactics and tactical combat. They gain new abilities and skills such as Ranged Specialization, double damage to arrows, and ranged stealth. Tracker: Huntsman, who makes a habit of tracking various humanoid or creatures of a bestial nature, pursues the lifestyle of the tracker. Trackers gain specific abilities that aid in the shadowing, or pursuing various subjects. Unlike Bounty Hunters, Tracks gain higher abilities to track their prey through all terrain types outside of cities. Rogue A rogue is one of the most versatile characters in the game. Her wide range of skills offers ease of customization, and her sneak attack ability makes her deadly in combat. But how can you get the most play value out of a rogue while minimizing the risks to her? The rogue has more nicknames among veteran players than any other character class. She can be called locksmith, excellent treasure finder, sneak, just plain "thief," or any of a host of other colorful titles. Depending on how you create your rogue, any of these monikers could fit your character. Rogue Assets The rogue offers a useful array of game abilities that provide lots of room for customization. You can create a smooth-talking con artist, a cat burglar, a tomb breaker, or almost any kind of character in between. Below are several assets you have going for you when you choose a rogue. Good Initiative Bonus: A rogue should have a high Dexterity score, primarily because Dexterity provides her first line of defense and governs many of her best skills. But a high Dexterity score also gives her a high initiative bonus. As a result, rogues can get the drop on their opponents most of the time and are seldom caught unawares. Broad Skill Selection: The rogue has a long list of class skills, which enables her to excel at character interaction, stealth, movement, perception, and more. Item Selection: A Rogue can use veritable any but the most restricted of magical items, such as scrolls, staves and wands. They usually encounter such items of power and through the years learn to use these items at almost their full potential. Many Class Features: The rogue gains lots of useful and deadly class abilities. The most infamous of these is the sneak attack, which allows her to hit opponents where it really hurts. Rogue Weaknesses As with any class in Kingdom of Auspiex, the rogue's advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a rogue character. Poor Saving Throws: Rogues have the ability to almost use any magical item, but they lack the proper training in order to avoid their often unpleasant effects. Fairly Low Hit Points: The rogue only possesses a moderate number of hit points. Since her sneak attack ability is wasted if she doesn't get into at least the occasional fight, death is never far away. Fairly Low Armor Class: The fact that a rogue has proficiency with only light armor and none with shields leaves her with only a mediocre Armor Class. The combination of modest hit points and middling Armor Class usually means that a rogue can afford to fight a little, but she doesn't have much staying power in a pitched battle. A rogue can improve her defenses in various ways, but all of them deplete her resources. Specializations Rogues upon reaching the 30th level may opt to pursue advanced specializations for their characters. Thief: Rogues who pursue the art of theft and subterfuge often become some of the lands greatest pickpockets, or stealers of wondrous objects and things. Thieves gain the special ability to steal, shadow target, and advanced subterfuge. Bravo: Rogues who find themselves in the diciest situations all of the time, often invest in more arduous training regimes of weapon specialization and work on their melee damage abilities. Skills gained include, dual wielding, head butt, and enhanced melee combat damage. Assassin: Rogues often find themselves contracted out to acquire specific items for specific people. Often people need certain jobs done that don’t involve items, but include the elimination of people, rivals, or fellow gangsters. Assassins are the ultimate dealers of death by proxy. They gain abilities such as Poison, set trap, disguise, and stealth. Assassins are frail by nature, but are masters of deception and when they leap out of the shadows at their intended target; the odds are always in the assassins favor. Bounty Hunter: Throughout the dawn of time people who have been to weak or too unwilling to get their hands directly dirty hire Bounty Hunters to clean up their messes. Bounty Hunters specialize in the tracking and acquisition of a target. Bounty Hunters do well in any given setting as they devote their lives to surviving on their own and fighting targets directly or indirectly. Bounty Hunters gain the ability to Capture and Track targets. Pikeman In the lost days of large battle fields, Pikeman determined the success or loses on the battle field. Walls of Pikeman standing shoulder to shoulder would hold off hoards of Calvary, ogres, and various others en masse chargers, with a wall of gleaming silver pikes. A pike is a pole weapon; they are extremely long weapons, carried by infantry and resembled a spear between 10 and 14 feet (3 and 4 meters) long. These eventually grew in size both in shaft and head length; the longest pikes could exceed 22 feet (6 meters) in length. Pikeman Assets High Hit points: Because of their presence in the front lines on the battlefield holding off hoards of enemies, they have become accustomed to many scrapes, wounds, and still maintain the battle line, they have many bonus’s to strength and constitution High Strength Their ability to wield long metal pikes, allows the Pikeman to have some of the highest strength in the game Ranged attacks: Pikeman excel at ranged target, able to hit enemies from larger distances and keep them at bay. Pikemen have the ability to deal double damage when at their preferred range of combat. Good Saving throws: On the front lines, Pikeman have become accustomed to all forms of battlefield tactics, and gain special saving throws vs. magic users who cast purely offensive spells. Pikeman Weaknesses As with any class in Kingdom of Auspiex, the Pikeman advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering this character. Poor Weapon Selection: Because of Pikeman high proficiency with the Pike Weapon that are limited only to wielding various Pikes in game, and are not allowed to wield any other type of weapon Lack of Magic: Because of their battlefield nature and practice on the fields of combat, Pikeman are unable to use scrolls, staves, wands, and magic spells. Low Agility: Pikeman for the most part have high dexterity, constitution and strength, but on the battlefield usually form a defensive line and hold it at all costs, with the rigid formations Pikeman are unable to have high agility. Specializations Upon reaching the 30th level Pikeman have the ability to pursue advanced specializations relevant to their profession Dragoon: A Pikeman devoting them to the lost art of the Dragoon, enable the Dragoon to wear specialty armor that is only available to the specific class. The Dragoons armor is both sought after and feared for its interlinking platemail, and long spikes that protrude at almost every angel, adding a new dimension to the melee fighting they find themselves involved in. They also gain the special ability to make mighty leaps in the air, and come crashing down on their foes, Pole arm, spikes and all. Battlefield Leader: Pikeman who devote themselves to a more leadership role on the battlefield find themselves constantly being asked what to do next. Unlike the squad leader, the Battlefield leader lends a portion of his strength to his comrades, allowing them to fight with such vigor. Such skills from the Battlefield Leader, include, Empower followers, Tactics, and Wall of spears. Cleric At first glance, the cleric may seem a bit lackluster -- a mere healing machine whose medicinal spells provide vital party support, but not much excitement. First impressions often prove false, however, and dismissing the cleric as the character "someone" has to play is a big mistake. A well-constructed cleric, played with fervor and understanding is not only an asset to the party, but an immensely satisfying character as well. The Pros and Cons of a Cleric The cleric has a bit of everything -- decent combat skills, a wide range of spells, the ability to wear armor, and a few special powers. As such, clerics can play many roles in an adventuring group. Cleric Assets When you choose a cleric, you gain access to the all-important healing spells, but the class offers other potent spells and some useful powers as well. Below are several assets you have going for you when you play a cleric. Power over the Undead: A good cleric can drive off or destroy undead creatures, and an evil cleric can make them stop in their tracks, or even obey his orders. A neutral cleric gets to choose between these effects -- but once that choice is made, he can't change his mind. Good Saves: A cleric uses the best save progression in the game for. This natural mental and physical strength helps him resist most effects that fool his mind, assault his spirit, or attack his body -- including charms, compulsions, illusions, fear, poisons, and even disintegration. Furthermore, the high Wisdom score that a cleric needs for his spell casting also gives his Will save a hefty boost. Few other classes can match a cleric's saving throw bonuses. Good Spell Selection: The cleric spell list is packed with lifesaving spells such as slow poison, neutralize poison, remove disease, and the ever-popular cure spells. He also has access to potent attack spells such as spiritual weapon, searing light, and flame strike, as well as excellent defensive and utilitarian spells. Better yet, he has access to the whole clerical spell list, not just those that he can place in a spell book or master for a personal spell list. Spontaneous Spells: A cleric with a good alignment can spontaneously convert any spell he has prepared into a cure spell. This ability allows him to load up on flashier spells and then convert them to healing as his party needs it. Likewise, a cleric with an evil alignment can spontaneously convert any spell he has prepared into an inflict spell, so he always has a nasty surprise in store for his foes. Domains: Your cleric can make two choices from a wide variety of clerical domains, each of which gives him a special ability and access to extra spells. Domains are a great tool for customizing your cleric. Good Armor Class: A cleric has access to defensive spells that improve his Armor Class (such as shield of faith), as well as spells that can cause foes to miss him (such as entropic shield). Such spells combined with the fact that he can wear any kind of armor and use any kind of shield (except a tower shield) mean a cleric usually has quite an impressive Armor Class. Good Hit Points: Years of faithful service to the Clerics deity of choice and sabbaticals into the world prove them to be most hearty of constitution Good Attack Bonus: A cleric's base attack bonus -- +3 per four levels -- is second only to that of the more martial classes, such as the fighter. So if your cleric decides to enter combat, he can make a pretty good showing. Cleric Weaknesses The cleric's many advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a cleric character. Low Skill Points: Clerics devote themselves completely to the God that they serve, and spend many years in servitude to their selected deity. Their wide range of cleric spells is attained only because of their lack of training in many skills. Mediocre Weapon Selection: The cleric is proficient only with simple weapons. Most of the weapons in this category are fairly decent, but they're not the most deadly ones available. Low Mobility: A cleric's reliance on heavy armor makes him a slow mover on the battlefield. Specializations Upon reaching the 30th level, clerics may choose to pursue advanced specializations in their various professions. Such options include: Zealot: The Zealot Cleric focuses on damage, with the Fighter skill "Offense" and the ability to call upon the God of War to infuse them with power. Their offensive nature allows them to be extremely adept at fighting, particular raiding. Such skills they attain include, raised caps in one-handed bludgeon, dodge, double attack, and such spells as Plague, and Call of War Holyman: The Holyman Cleric is a master of defensive capabilities. He has the ability to invoke his God to calm a room, when needed. And, under the effect of the spell "Lesser Sanctuary", the Healer will take less physical damage than normal. When Soul shielded, it is said that mysterious things may happen. Healer: A Healer Cleric is the most utilitarian of all the specializations. They have the ability to call upon their own God to heal their entire group, when needed, and, they can apply a "Healing Salve" to a victim to save to save their life. As their skill in healing and bond with their deity grows stronger, all healing spells will gain potency, truly making them masters of the healing arts. Such spells they gain include Group Heal, Healing Salve, and gain the skill Healing Mastery Mage Mages are among the most popular characters, and for good reason. Thanks to their wide selection of spells, they're among the most versatile and powerful characters in the game. The Pros and Cons of a Mage The wizard is the party's magical powerhouse. She can boost her party's combat effectiveness, help her compatriots scout, and levy fiery magical assaults at the enemies. Depending on whether or not she specializes, she may have access to nearly any kind of arcane spell. Mage Assets When you chose a Mage, you gain access to a wide range of powerful spells, but the class has a few hidden resources as well. Below are several assets you have going for you when you play a Mage. High Intelligence: Don't let the Mage’s paltry fragile demur fool you. A Mage needs to have a high Intelligence score because that ability governs her spell casting. But a high Intelligence score also boosts the number of skill points she has available. Good Saving Throws: A Mage uses the best save progression in the game for saves. This natural mental strength helps her resist most affects that fool her mind or assault her spirit, including charms, compulsions, illusions, fear effects, and even inflict spells. Good Spell Selection: The Mage's spell list has unmatched breadth and depth, and virtually its whole range is open to her. With the right spell, she can damage or slay foes, whisk herself (and her friends) to safety, discern hidden truths, throw up impassible barriers, or even create useful items out of thin air. Bonus Feats: Scribe Scroll, which the Mage gains as a bonus feat, lets her pack extra spells along on any trip. She also gets bonus item creation and metamagic feats as she attains higher levels. Familiar: By spending a little cash, a Mage can gain a familiar who can serve as a spy, lookout, and general assistant. School Specialization: A Mage can gain more spell casting ability by giving up access to part of the wizard spell list. This kind of specialization can also be a great role-playing hook, especially if she chooses a specialty that matches her temperament or history. Mage Weaknesses Mage’s pay a heavy price for their spell casting abilities. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a wizard character. Low Hit Points: Mages have some of the lowest natural hit points and constitution in the game Poor Armor Class: Because the Mage has no proficiency with any kind of armor or shield, she generally has a low Armor Class. The combination of low hit points and low Armor Class makes her extremely vulnerable in physical combat, especially melee. She can use spells and magic items to improve her defense, but doing so makes them less available for other purposes. Poor Attack Bonus: A Mage's base attack bonus is +1 per two wizard levels, which is the worst in the game. Wizards can dish out lots of damage with their spells, but they don't do well with weapons. Vulnerability of melee: Because of Mage’s devotion to their particular school and scholarly pursuits of the magic arts, they have not trained properly to avoid melee damage. Therefore Mages usually take double from all melees. Specializations Upon reaching the 30th level, mages may elect to pursue advanced specialization of their characters; they may select one of the following. Wizard - An advanced spell caster in the ways of the Mage, the Wizard can Manipulate the essences of magic’s as they are tossed through the very air. Many times they are able to disperse and dispel offensive magic’s aimed at Them and sometimes even take the energies and throw the spell back from Whence it came. The Wizard always has their spell book close at hand and has imbued it with their name, they need only summon it. Such spells they attain from specialization include: Arcane Block, Arcane Riposte, and the skill Summon Spell book. Shadow Mage: The Master of the paths of magic and silent transference. A Shadow Mage deeply studied will not feel the discomfort, unease and disorientation as Other casters do upon using spells such as teleport, relocate and dimension Door. They can also "Blink" out of the way causing foes hitting them bodily To fall as they fail their swing, possibly causing them to abort offensive Magic’s against this Mage. Special magic’s gained from this specialization include Blink and enhanced distance on Dimension Door and Relocate. Conjuror: Conjurers are the creative branch of the magic-users. They specialize in Enchantments, conjuring creatures and objects. They’re the only ones able to identify objects. Conjurers, like other magic-users, possess awesome spell casting might and are able to throw some of the world’s most potent spells. The conjuring style of magic first developed among the mixed breed races, which would account for their smaller spell list and greater overall Spell potency. Such spells include, Summon Elemental, Group Stone skin, and Elemental Affinity. Interface/controls Kingdom of Auspiex online is designed for Portable Computers and modern day Cell phones, so all of the controls by default are reliant on the keyboard. Keyboard default features include Aside from exclusively using the keyboard, we have added features to incorporate all of the modern joysticks, and hand held controllers, so a user may elect to program the multi button controller to serve all of the essential functions of major game play. Triggers/macros: Kingdom of Auspiex online is pioneering the advent of users being able to customize their own trigger and macro skill set. Triggers: In its earliest usage, trigger refers to a mechanical mechanism, the pulling or pushing of which sets a device into action. This includes the lever that sets off the chain of events that fires a gun, the release mechanisms on a crossbow, or the lever that engages an animal trap. Today trigger is also used in a wider sense to refer to a precipitating cause of some event. The "trigger" (noun) is said to "trigger" (verb) the event. Note that, in this wider sense, "trigger" need not be a necessary condition for the event. To the extent that it is a sufficient condition, this is only relative to some implied background conditions taken as given. Characters may choose to set up their own triggers to make their game play experience more seamless. Examples of triggers employed in game are “auto looting monsters when you slay them, or fleeing from battle at particular hit point’s total Macros Keyboard macros and editor macros are used interactively on a graphical user interface and text editor, respectively. These allow short sequences of keystrokes to substitute long sequences of commands, and can provide a simple form of automation for repetitive tasks. Examples of macros include, hitting one button to enact 4 different attacks with a pike, one after the other, or sailing a ship in a specific direction, when sailing. Menu System The menu system in Kingdom of Auspiex online is the most extensively constructed menu in the history of 2d MMORPG’s on the internet. The main menu is very detailed and provides over 13 selections, with submenus ranging to 6 pages long. In total, there are 60 sub pages to the main menu, here is where you can find out how much gold you are carrying, who is online, what you status is, what your elemental vulnerabilities are, to customize what music you hear online, and where you can enter or exit or enter the game Audio The audio for kingdom of Auspiex is an integrated part of life within the game. From swinging your sword, to walking on dead leaves in the forest, to distinctive background music in battles and in cities, music and effects pave the way for a visceral playing experience Currently in the game, features audio sound tracks provided and engineered exclusively in house, and collaborations with some of the world’s top hip-hop musicians, and avant garde atmospherics. Music: Music in kingdom of Auspiex is on by default, it allows the player to bask in the atmosphere of the game, as well as provide distinctions between walking on the main map, to walking in a city. All music in the game provides the experience that you are in fact in a fantasy world, full of wonders and magic, and the audio soundtrack keeps players coming back for more EFX: Currently in the game number over one thousand and counting! Kingdom of Auspiex Online strives to immerse players, adding sounds to every move and action they can possibly imagine. EFX is an intricate part of the game that keeps the player aware of what is transpiring in the game, without necessary having to look at the screen. When a player is in battle, swinging of the sword, casting the magic spell, running away, or parrying a ringing blow, inform the player what is happening without them having to necessarily look at the battle animations happen. 
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Main Menu
| Home |
| Articles |
| Search |
| Submit Article |
| Contact Us |
| Donate to Wikibin |
